CRYSTA L C A BIN AWARDS
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
JUNE 2019 083
Cabin Concepts
WINNER: AIRBUS & SAFRAN
The Cabin Concepts category recognises excellence in aircraft
cabin design, and it is this category that usually receives the
most mainstream public interest. Three huge names in aviation
– Airbus, Emirates and Safran – were vying for the prize this year,
but Airbus won the category with its ‘Lower Deck Pax Experience’
modules, a concept that proposes that the cargo containers
usually stored underneath the passenger cabin can be swapped
with other modules fitted out for passenger use, accessed from
the main deck.
Many companies have proposed lower deck passenger
accommodation ideas before, but Airbus’s proposal is both
practical and feasible as it does not require any alterations to
aircraft cargo floors or cargo loading systems, as the passenger
module would sit directly on the existing floor. The modules are
being co-developed with Safran Cabin, with ideas being explored
focusing on new options for economy class, including everything from
dormitories to lounge areas and play areas, to exercise or quiet zones
for economy class passengers. According to the partners, the modules
could be available to airlines in 2020 for the A330, with potential
availability for the A350 later on.
Sören Scholz, Airbus’s senior VP of cabin & cargo programs said,
“We are delighted to have won the Crystal Cabin Award together with
Safran for the Lower Deck Pax Experience Modules. I congratulate the
team on their great job and well-deserved success.”
1
RUNNERS UP
Emirates reached the finals with its upgraded B777-300ER first class
suites. The fleet already boasted luxurious cabins, but they have now
been fitted with fully enclosed suites to take the experience to the
next level: creating an atmosphere akin to that of a private jet. Key to
the enhanced experience is that the six private suites are in a 1-1-1
configuration, replacing the previous arrangement of eight suites in a
1-2-1 layout to create more space and indeed space for more luxuries.
One issue remained with the 1-1-1 layout though: an inconsistent
experience in the cabin, as the centre suites do not have windows.
However, Emirates has fitted ‘virtual windows’ in the centre suites,
which look the same as the real outboard windows, but with the
glass substituted with displays showing a feed to the outside. These
‘windows’ also made it to the finals of the IFEC category (see p86).
Safran had a second finalist in this category, with its Essential
business class seat design, which focuses on reducing weight rather
than adding opulence. By replacing the typical heavy mechanical
components of a seat with innovative cushion structures, Safran
says it has achieved a 25% reduction in weight. The design also yields
a claimed increase in living space of almost 20% – space previously
occupied by kinematic systems – and a bed space 15% larger than that
of comparable angled seats. A seat design would not usually be in the
Cabin Concepts category, but the simplified design of Essential also
enables a sizeable increase in under-seat stowage space, sufficient
to accommodate roll-on bags, which could eliminate the need for
overhead stowage bins, creating a more spacious feel in the cabin.
ABOVE RIGHT: REMARKABLY,
AIRBUS SAYS ITS LOWER DECK PAX
EXPERIENCE COULD BE AVAILABLE
AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR
BELOW: EMIRATES’ B777
FIRST CLASS SUITES FEATURE
A BEAUTIFUL GHAF
TREE MOTIF
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com